Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3 Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
4 Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
5 Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
8 But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
11 Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
14 Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’
15 Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
16 Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
17 Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
19 The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
20 “Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
24 Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
25 Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
26 For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
28 The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
29 When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
30 He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
